It wasn't flashy, but the US men's national team completed the job Thursday night at Columbus, Ohio's Lower.com Field with a 1-0 win over El Salvador in Concacaf World Cup Qualifying.
Powered by Antonee Robinson's goal in the 52nd minute, here's who stood out from head coach Gregg Berhalter's team as they reached 18 points from nine matches (5W-1L-3D record) in the Octagonal as the Qatar 2022 march continues.
United States Men's National Team Player Ratings
With Manchester City backstop Zack Steffen unavailable due to back issues, Turner was rewarded with a quiet night. The New England Revolution goalkeeper was never truly tested and cycled the ball effectively in possession.
Dest started the evening brightly and consistently looked to play the ball forward. The Barcelona fullback never quite got on the same page with his right-sided teammates but had the correct ideas.
The more ambitious of the center back pairing in possession, Zimmerman consistently looked to break lines and advance the ball to the forwards. The Nashville SC defender’s entry pass never quite seemed to work out, though.
Richards let Alex Roldan get in behind once, but recovered quickly and kept the game in front of him afterward. The FC Dallas product wasn’t asked to do too much on the ball but was more than adequate.
Robinson was at the right place at the right time for his goal and finished emphatically. He nearly twice added to his tally with right-footed efforts and was a consistent outlet down the left flank.
Adams cleaned up in front of the backline and made a couple of key recovery tackles. The New York Red Bulls product's forward passing grew more impactful as the night went on.
Musah struggled to affect the match in the first half, yet nearly found a goal after the break. The Valencia midfielder influenced the game more during the second period but ran out of steam around the 75-minute mark.
McKennie set the tempo with quick, simple passes. He always looked to get the ball forward and was a nightmare to dispossess. A mature showing from the in-form Juventus midfielder.
The threat of Weah’s pace kept El Salvador’s backline second-guessing, but he didn’t really impact the game with the ball. Then again, he deserved an assist with a flicked header to Ferreira, and his saved shot eventually led to the game’s only goal.
Ferreira pressed relentlessly to start the match but missed a pair of quality chances. He dropped deeper as the night went on and left the US without a target in the box, though eventually redeemed himself with a scrappy assist.
Pulisic tried to do too much on the dribble and released the ball too late. The captain didn’t have a consistent impact, perhaps a byproduct of his always-changing position at Chelsea.
The result wasn’t nearly as emphatic as Berhalter would have liked, but his side earned a vital three points on Octagonal matchday No. 9 of 14. While Berhalter's decision to start Jesus Ferreira over Ricardo Pepi may not have paid off, his changes were positive and his side once again stepped up in the second half.
Substitutes
Aaronson provided a more direct option off the bench, looking to combine quickly in possession and pull defenders out of position. A needed change of pace from the Philadelphia Union product.
The hometown striker held the ball up well and offered a more typical target to lead the line. Ultimately, nothing too definitive from the Columbus Crew striker.
Morris didn’t have a major impact on the match but logged his first World Cup qualifying appearance in four years, four months and 23 days. A welcome return for the Seattle Sounders FC forward.
